Great story, thrilling plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

And Then She Was Gone by Christopher Greyson

9781683990017

399 Pages
Publisher: Greyson Media Associates
Release Date: October 1, 2016

Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Amateur Sleuths

Jack and Chandler witness a purse snatcher and give chase. When the police catch up to Jack and the mugger, they mistake the situation and think Jack is the criminal. Jack is 17 years old and going into the military. His plan is to serve then go to college before applying to the police academy.

Stacy Shaw is pregnant and happy about her future. Her husband is out of town and she is looking forward to him coming home. She gets in her car, but it won’t start. She decides she can walk through the park to get home. As the park gets darker, she starts to feel uneasy. Before she knows it, she is grabbed and dragged into the bushes. An acquaintance of Jack’s, Jay, is arrested for using Stacy’s credit cards. Jack tries to find out what happened to Stacy and clear J-Dog.

The book is written in third person point of view. The story is fast paced, and the characters are well developed. There are twists and turns in the story that lead to a surprise ending. If you like amateur sleuth stories or young adult detective stories, you will like this.

I was blessed to recieved an advance copy of this book and am so glad I did. It was all that it promised and more. Jack Stratton is vulnerable, intense, devoted to finding truth, and yet he really struggles continually with his sense of self worth because of his past. When Jack was a teenager he was about to enter the army. This is essentially his first case. Although I've never read a Christopher Greyson novel prior to this one, I was very impressed and will continue to read his books. ThIs was a page turner and a sweet romance mixed in with the intrigue. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Greyson Media for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Teenager Jack Stratton has a goal. He's going to go into the Army, get college paid for, serve his country for a few years, and then become a detective. Nothing is going to deter him from this dream...except maybe himself. Drawn to potentially dangerous situations Jack gets himself mixed up in a murder investigation. Dragging his brother, Chandler, along Jack goes searching for leads he doesn't think the police are following. In the end who will discover the murderer? The police or Jack?

This prequel to the Detective Jack Stratton series by Greyson provides background on Jack Stratton and his motivations for becoming a detective. I haven't yet read any of the Jack Stratton series but based on this one I will. And I loved getting the background on Stratton before beginning the actual series. My only "complaint" is that it is pretty unrealistic for a 17-18 year old to be able to suss out and be the kind of sleuth Greyson created Stratton to be. But I'm such a sucker for these kind of thrillers I am willing to overlook that.

Wow -- what great writing and obviously the start of a new, exciting series featuring our protagonist, Jack Stratton. In this introduction, he's only 18, still in high school, and wanting to enter the US Army in order to pay for his future at the police academy.

Jack is a tightly strung young man with horrors in his past. He wants to do good -- to be a hero. When a young woman, Stacy Shaw, goes missing and is later found murdered, Jack gets involved because a kid from the neighborhood has been accused of the crime. Jack is adopted but spent part of his life with foster parents and this tie is very strong. He's still in contact with Aunt Haddie, and his best friend (and foster brother), Chandler. Jack is intent on investigating this crime and Chandler goes along with him. The pair have a great dynamic, and they have foster siblings who also become involved in Jack's pursuit of truth. He won't back down even though the police have warned him off. He talks to witnesses and presents a theory of the murder to the police.

What I liked about this novel was the interaction between the characters, the dialog, the suggestion of a horrible past to overcome, and the sheer grit that Jack emanates as part of his personality. He's a great character and I only wish I could read the rest of this series, in order, to see how he evolves.

Yes, the case is solved and Jack's snooping in an ongoing investigation is vindicated -- but the ride is so well worth the read. I really enjoyed it! Hard to put the book down as I was eager to see how it all played out.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook ARC to read and review. I'll definitely read more by this author!

Fascinating! A real-page turner and fantastic mystery. Well done

Oh, where to start??? This was a wild ride and kept me guessing their every move--- loved it and loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat!! Way to go!!!!!

I love mysteries, and this one did not disappoint. This story follows Jack Stratton, a 17-year old who has goals of going into the military and becoming a police officer, mostly a detective. In his neighborhood, a woman goes missing and he jumps into the case, interviewing coworkers, family members and those in the vicinity of her disappearance. When her body finally turns up in a park, he continues to interview bystanders, and gets a slap on the wrist from the local police department for impeding the investigation. But he just can't seem to help himself. He is drawn to figuring out who the killer is, and won't believe that the police have the right person in custody. He continues his own investigation amidst attempts by his parents, police and others to stop, but his persistence is unmatched.

Jack is an adopted child who had a very hard upbringing until he landed in a loving family. His desire to prove himself is evident and though sad at times, he grows up and learns lessons throughout the book. When certain testimonies don't add up, he keeps pushing until it makes sense. This is definitely a novel that will take off into other novels, and Christopher Greyson has them laid out on his website. I found it to be a little juvenile at times, but I think that is because the main character is a young teenage boy, who hasn't fully grown up yet.

I liked the book and would read other works by Greyson. Much thanks to him, NetGalley and Greyson Media Associates for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Best wishes on your future works!

Too juvenile for me; I could not get into the book at all.

I could not put this book down! The characters are very well written and the mystery is perfectly done! Thrilling, suspenseful, and just plain great to read! I can't wait to get my hands on other books in this series, I will most definitely be using this title with my adult reading groups and summer book club participants!

Excerpt From Publisher's Blurb....

'A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. Jack seemed destined to become another statistic, but now his life has taken a turn for the better. Determined to escape his past, he's headed for a career in law enforcement. When his foster mother asks him to look into the girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?'

I am at a disadvantage beginning my exposure to the Jack Stratton mystery series with this prequel. Having said that, I did do a little scouting about the books and learned that Jack, as an adult, obviously achieved his dream of becoming an ace detective. His path to detective, however, appears strewn with tragedy and emotional baggage that began in childhood and followed him into his future. And Then She Was Gone scours the character list of the other books and gives a back story to those playing integral roles in Jack's life and career.

We meet Jack Statton shortly before his eighteen birthday. Jack and his best friend, Cameron, have decided to enlist in the military after graduation in order to become eligible for the GI bill. For Jack, the military will be used as a stepping stone toward becoming a police detective. Unfortunately, Jack can't seem to remember to stay out of trouble. He is fixated on trying to solve the world's problems and not heeding the advice of the adults in his life.

Like a bloodhound on a scent, Jack plunges recklessly after clues to a recent murder. Tasked by his foster mother in clearing one of her children as a suspect, Jack gets in over his head and nearly derails the police investigation. He tramples crime scenes. confronts gang members in dark alleys, defies authorities, ignores his parents advice...in other words...acts like any normal teenager. Immortal and invincible and always right.

My overall feeling started as confusion. Was the series aimed at a young adult audience? There was something in the dialogue that sounded forced. An author trying to make an adult character become a teenager but not quite getting there. The adults, including the police, the murderer and the victim felt like characters in a Charley Brown cartoon going waa waa waa in the background. Additionally, the author tossed in the kitchen sink covering everything from prostitution to drugs; racial relations to adolescent hormonal overload; homelessness to bullying... a few less hot topics and deeper character and story development would have improved things.

It just seemed to lack that special magic that makes you flip the pages so fast you lose yourself in the story. Just rated ...okay.

I do want to thank Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion and review.

I read this book and was kind of thrown off by the main character, Jack Stratton. He's 18 and tries to investigate the disappearance of a pregnant woman. I just found it not realistic. The way he thought and what he did. It just didn't make sense to me. I wasn't fond of the character because it seemed unrealistic for an 18 year old to do the things he was doing. It wasn't a terrible book by any means. I've just read better thrillers and suspense novels and this just wasn't my fave.

“And Then She Was Gone” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by Christopher Greyson (https://www.christophergreyson.com). Mr. Greyson has published 7 novels. This is the first in his “Detective Jack Stratton” series.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the contemporary US. The primary character is 18 year old Jack Stratton.

Stratton has recently graduated from High School and is enjoying his summer. He, and his best friend Chandler, have enlisted in the Army and are just waiting to report to boot camp. His goal is to serve his enlistment then return and attend college. Ultimately, he wants to be a police officer.

A woman disappears and before long a neighbor of Stratton is arrested for her murder. Stratton’s foster mother asks him to look into the case to prove the neighbor’s innocence. Stratton and Chandler dig into the case and run up against police that see them as interfering at the best and involved somehow at the worst.

It becomes a question of whether they will be able to find the real killer without getting themselves in so deep that their military service will be in jeopardy.

I enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 262 page Mystery. While it was not identified as such, it had the feel of a Young Adult novel. I liked the characters in the story and the plot was well developed, with several viable suspects until near the end of the story. The cover art is appropriate, showing the victim being confronted by her murderer. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Rip snorting adventure ride. Another great read by Christopher Grayson.

This book, although a part of a series, is actually the one to read first. It's a prequel to the first book written, GIRL JACKED, which introduces the reader to Jack Stratton.. as a teenager. His plans are to enlist in the military, then go to college, then apply to the police department.

Everything is going to plan until Stacy Shaw disappears one evening. Leaving work, her car wouldn't start, so she made the decision to walk home ... through the park. Somewhere along the way she went missing.

When Jack's foster mother asks him to look into the woman's disappearance, he quickly gets way too involved. Repeated warnings from the detectives and his own father do not seem to deter him. He winds up caught between cops and criminals.

Jack has an interesting back story. He was raised in brothels by his prostitute mom.. until she just walked away and left him to find his own way. He never knew his father. Something burns within him ... to prove that he is not garbage, not trash, and he is going to make something of himself.

I loved the interaction, especially of Jack and his former foster brother, Chandler. Chandler is a big guy .. and he's black. The two of them get a lot of mileage of telling people that they are brothers ... can't you see the resemblance? Jack is white. There is much love and humor and if one of them is going to wind up in trouble, so will the other. They plan on enlisting at the same time.

This is a well written mystery. The characters are solidly well rounded. There are lots of suspects and it's fun watching Jack and Chandler figure out clues.

I absolutely plan on reading the entire series .... I'm looking forward to more of his adventures.

Many thanks to the author / Greyson Media Associates / Netgalley for this Unproofed Advance Review Copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was thrown for a bit when I first started reading this novel. I didn't realize it was a prequel to the Jack Stratton Detective Series. This is when Jack was just a 17-year-old boy and he and his "adopted" brother stumble across a nasty murder. Jack's main objective is to ultimately become a police officer, which he does but you begin to wonder if that is going to happen. He finds himself in some precarious situations trying to find the find the killer of pregnant woman. This novel is fast paced with well-developed characters. It left me with a feel good message of a young man who surrounds himself with the right people and is trying to do well in spite of his not so stable upbringing.
I would like to thank Greyson Media and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley for my honest review.

Even though he's still in high school, Jack Stratton can't help but get involved in a murder investigation in his neighborhood, especially when one of his former schoolmates is accused of committing the crime. Jack puts himself and his best friend in danger countless times, but remains determined to solve a case the police consider closed. While this was a pretty standard suspense novel, the inclusion of a protagonist who has to operate separately from the police was an interesting plot device, though it also made certain aspects less believable (why would suspects talk to an 18-year-old kid about their whereabouts the night of a murder?). The main characters are easy to like, and Jack's tragic backstory makes you want him to succeed, even if some of his methods for uncovering for the truth might actually be against the law.

And Then She Was Gone by Christopher Greyson is a detective thriller, which makes a fast read with a heavy dose of suspense! If you are a frequent reader of detective novels, the first chapter will reveal some sinister characters who will possibly attack the young woman we first meet. Once you pick up on these clues, you are tense as you read, just waiting for when it happens.

Every thriller needs a hero, and in this novel that's Detective Jack Stratton, whom we meet as he is training for future heroics. We first meet him as he chases down a kid who has just stolen and older woman's purse, as he recovers the purse and happily returns it to this crime victim.

He becomes involved in the crime at the center of this novel, and the action follows plot twists and surprising revelations. This is a page-turner, and will leave you breathless in many chapters.

Greyson's language builds suspense, makes you sympathetic with the victim at the very beginning, and keeps you hoping for a happy ending. He does an expert job of crafting a story that makes you want to finish it, and keeps you reading long after you have decided to call it a night. You may even sleep with the light on as you are drawn into this drama.

Add this novel to your collection of thrillers....it doesn't disappoint!

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

And then she was gone by Christopher Greyson is a Christian read.
What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light…

The silhouette stood at the edge of the woods like a spider watching a fly enter its carefully crafted web. Only a few more steps and she’d be within its grasp.

Stacy Shaw has her whole life ahead of her. New job, new house and now a baby on the way—everything she’s ever hoped for is finally coming true. But on a warm summer night on the way home from work, she vanishes. The police race to find her, but the clues don’t add up. Conflicting facts emerge as her story twists and turns, sending the trail spiraling in all directions.

A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. Jack seemed destined to become another statistic, but now his life has taken a turn for the better. Determined to escape his past, he's headed for a career in law enforcement. When his foster mother asks him to look into the girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?
This was a good read with good characters. Bit slow to start with but soon picked up. Jack and chandler were my favourite characters. Was not who I thought it was. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

I requested this from netgalley on a free review because I have read Christopher Greyson before and I liked his work. I think this series though this is the only book in it I've read will be very entertaining. Its a mystery book, no graphic or language to worry about so great for teens as well.